Some people run marathons. Others climb mountains. But in 1939, one man decided to challenge himself in an entirely different way—by writing an entire novel without using the letter “e.” Yes, you read that right. Not a single “e” in 50,000 words.
Meet Ernest Vincent Wright, the literary daredevil who pulled off one of the most bizarre stunts in writing history. His novel, Gadsby, tells the story of a man on a mission to revitalize his town, using a vocabulary that completely dodges the most common letter in English. No “he,” no “she,” no “the,” no “were”—not even “Ernest” could sign his name in it!
How did he do it? And, more importantly—why?
The Great ‘E’ Escape
Wright wasn’t the first to try writing a “lipogram” (a fancy term for writing that avoids a specific letter), but he took it to the extreme. The English language leans on “e” like a crutch. It’s in roughly one out of every eight words, meaning every sentence we casually toss around would collapse without it.
Wright knew the challenge was absurdly difficult, so he went all in—he even tied down the “e” key on his typewriter to ensure he never cheated! That’s commitment.
And here’s the kicker—because of this unusual constraint, Gadsby reads… well, a little off. Without “e,” words are swapped out, phrases are twisted in odd ways, and the storytelling has an almost unnatural rhythm. But that’s part of the fun! Wright had to get creative, which is a novel unlike anything else.
The Mystery of Gadsby
If you think I’ve never seen this book in a bookstore, you’re not alone. Gadsby is a bit of a literary ghost. The original printing had a small run, and many copies disappeared over time. It’s a rare collector’s item today, with surviving copies selling for thousands of dollars!
To make things even more mysterious, Wright passed away the same year Gadsby was published, meaning he never got to see if his strange experiment would catch on.
Should You Read It?
If you love quirky challenges, Gadsby is worth a peek. It’s not a page-turner in the traditional sense—after all, avoiding “e” means the language is sometimes a bit clunky. But it’s a literary oddity, a playful experiment that proves how flexible (and frustrating) the English language can be.
If nothing else, it’s fun to try reading a few paragraphs to see how long it takes before you start missing your favorite vowel. Spoiler: it won’t take long.
A Challenge for You
Could you go a whole day without using “e”? Imagine ordering coffee: “I’ll grab a… hot, dark liquid.” Or texting a friend: “U up for fun today?” It sounds easy—until it isn’t.
So, the next time you’re feeling adventurous, try crafting a sentence, a paragraph, or short story without the letter “e.” Who knows—you might just be the next Ernest Vincent Wright!
Want more fun trivia like this? Stick around—there’s always another literary oddity waiting to be discovered! Readers and Writers Book Club, where we dig into the fascinating lives of authors, swap trivia about literary legends and explore hidden stories behind the books we love. If the fairytale revelations intrigued you, wait until you hear what else is hiding in the pages of history. Come on in— I promise, there’s always room for another curious mind!
Where every reader is a friend, and every author is approachable: https://bit.ly/41vgvKh
Author Campaign Method (ACM) for Authorpreneurs
This is Publication Consultants’ motivation for constantly striving to assist authors sell and market their books. Author Campaign Method (ACM) of sales and marketing is Publication Consultants’ plan to accomplish this so that our authors’ books have a reasonable opportunity for success. We know the difference between motion and direction. ACM is direction! ACM is the process for authorpreneurs who are serious about bringing their books to market. ACM is a boon for them.
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The Great Alaska Book Fair: October 8, 2016
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Cortex is for serious authors and will probably not be of interest to hobbyists. We recorded our Cortex training and information meeting. If you’re a serious author, and did not attend the meeting, and would like to review the training information, kindly let us know. Authors are required to have a Facebook author page to use Cortex.
Correction:
We take the quote by Marcella Smith, Small Press Business Manager, Barnes & Noble seriously: “The author is essential to the success of the book, giving energy behind the book to make it something that a customer will come in and ask for. That is what makes the difference in a book that sells, that develops legs, and has a life of its own. Otherwise the book goes on the shelf and stays there for three months. Then it gets returned.”
This is Publication Consultants’ motivation for constantly striving to assist authors sell and market their books. ACM is Publication Consultants’ plan to accomplish this so that our authors’ books have a reasonable opportunity for success. We know the difference between motion and direction. ACM is direction! ACM is the process for authors who are serious about bringing their books to market. ACM is a boon for serious authors, but a burden for hobbyist. We don’t recommend ACM for hobbyists.
We’re the only publisher we know of that provides authors with book signing opportunities. Book signing are appropriate for hobbyist and essential for serious authors. To schedule a book signing kindly go to our website, <
An Author Page on Amazon Author Central is a serious author ACM requirement and desirable for the hobbyist. Author Central is a free resource designed to help authors become more active participants in the promotion of their books. In Author Central you can manage an Author Page, update information about your books, and view Customer Reviews and sales information for your bibliography. If you don’t already have an Author Page on 
We hear authors complain about all the personal stuff on Facebook. Most of these complaints are because the author doesn’t understand the difference difference between a Facebook profile and a Facebook page. Simply put, a profile is for personal things for friends and family; a page is for business. If your book is just a hobby, then it’s fine to have only a Facebook profile and make your posts for friends and family; however, if you’re serious about your writing, and it’s a business with you, or you want it to be business, then you need a Facebook page as an author. It’s simple to tell if it’s a page or a profile. A profile shows how many friends and a page shows how many likes. Here’s a link <> to a straight forward description on how to set up your author Facebook page.
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Mosquito Books has a new location in the Anchorage international airport and is available for signings with 21 days notice. Jim Misko had a signing there yesterday. His signing report included these words, “Had the best day ever at the airport . . ..”
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When he published those overseas blogs as the book The Innocents Abroad, it would become a hit. But you couldn’t find it in bookstores.
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